Rojo Rollers
Rojo Rollers are the team that are red with blue/brown stripes introduced in Marble League 2016 and are represented by Rojo Uno, Rojo Tres, Rojo Cuatro, and their team captain, Rojo Dos. The Rojo Rollers ended in fifth place overall in Marble League 2016. The team has since failed to qualify for the Marble League, finishing last in the Marble League 2017 Qualifiers with only four points, and narrowly missing the cutoff of twenty points to qualify in the Marble League 2018 Qualifiers. After failing to qualify for the third time in a row in the Marble League 2019 Qualifiers, the Rollers competed in Marble League Showdown 2019 in order to secure their spot in the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers. #RojoCaliente Team Members Rojo Uno, Rojo Dos, Rojo Tres and Rojo Cuatro were the original members of Rojo Rollers and are the current members on the team. Rojo Cinco was also introduced to the team in 2018. Coaches Note: Events include any kind of events (friendly events, other tournaments, ...). History The Rojo Rollers come from the outskirts of Numerun, located exactly in the middle of Central America. It is known as the “newest old” city in the world, having been settled for over a millennium but was rediscovered by settlers from across the ocean about five hundred years ago. The settlers shared goods from their side of the world, which led to growth for the city. It is now one of the most diverse, economical and intellectual cities in the world. The ancient city center of Numerun, Numerun Antigua, has been preserved from modern urban development, making the city one of the most interesting tourist attractions in the world. There is also a modern city center which encircles the ancient center. One of the most notable landmarks is Colina Umerun, a centuries old artificially created hill designed specifically for marble racing that, after continual renovations, is still in use tofay. Racing down Colina Umerun is what inspired both the Rojo Rollers and Red Number 3 to enter marble sports. The team are named after their red homes in Numerun Antigua. The Rojo Rollers used to work in the modern city center. The five team members were all familiar with each other from the workplace, where they were mathematicians at competing universities. They formally met each other during the city's Milenaria, which is celebrated in Numerun Antigua. The universities decided to go on a historic academic trip together, grouping together departments of various schools. After getting to know each other throughout the day and making several bad math puns, the five marbles went down the Colina Umerun, one after the other, and regrouped at the bottom. Rojo Uno was a huge fan of racing and expected the others to be amazed after his trip, but the other four marbles moved on with the day. It was not until a few months later, when they met for dinner, that they all began to realize that they felt the same way. Rojo Uno, Rojo Dos, Rojo Tres, and Rojo Cuatro stepped away from their jobs the following semester, and began to seek training. Luckily for them, Numerun is the host city for the Surculo, the most popular marble sports tournament south of Marbopolis. They quickly found a trainer and, in 2012, entered the Surculo. Rojo Cinco remained at his job to complete a second doctorate degree in sports medicine. During his time at university, he came across Red Number 3, who was completing his master's degree in sports medicine. The two became friendly in class upon finding out that they were both interested in the Surculo. The Rojo Rollers started off poorly in the Surculo, placing in the bottom half of their first tournament. The Rollers were not deterred and improved in the next year, finishing exactly in the middle of the competition. In 2014, their margin of improvement was significant, and they earned a wild card spot in the elite league. Even though the stakes rose in 2015, the Rojo Rollers, steadfast to their passion and skill, improved still, and finished as runners-up to the Jawbreakers at the conclusion of the tournament. With the announcement of Marble League 2016, Greg Woods extended an invite to the leading teams of many regional marble sports tournaments. This included the top three teams of the 2015 Surculo, which were the Jawbreakers, the Rojo Rollers, and the Quicksilvers. The Jawbreakers and Rojo Rollers accepted, while the Quicksilvers declined in favor of one more shot at the Surculo Championship. The Jungle Jumpers, who placed fourth, also declined the invitation, so the fifth-placed Chocolatiers were the third team who accepted. The Rojo Rollers entered Marble League 2016 as strong as they possibly could have, earning the first gold medal in the tournament's history in the Balancing event. Their points record, at 347 cm, lasted for three years until the Crazy Cat's Eyes broke it in Marble League 2019. The team was eliminated in the first round of the Relay Race event, but received an extra point as consolation due to the malfunction on the top track. The team came last during Event 3, Collision, but made up for it in the Sand Rally with Rojo Uno winning a silver medal. The team were at the top of the standings for the second time. Rojo Dos placed fourth in the next event, the Long Jump, to earn four points. However, the next event, the Water Race, seemed to have foreshadowed the downfall of the team, as Rojo Cuatro, who represented them in the event, was disqualified due to allegedly blocking one of his opponents. The Rojo Rollers lost three points as a result of this. Rojo Cuatro claimed it was a false accusation due to already being stuck, but his claim was denied. This only made the team work harder though, and their effort immediately paid off in the next event, High Jump, where Rojo Dos earned a gold medal. For the third time in seven events, the Rojo Rollers were at the top of the standings. Unfortunately, the Rojo Rollers only earned one point during the last five events of the season, that point being from placing eighth in Quartet Diving. They finished Marble League 2016 in sixth place with 30 points. Had the team not been disqualified, the Rojo Rollers would have finished in fifth place, two points ahead of the O'rangers. The Rojo Rollers' return in the Marble League 2017 Qualifiers was but a continuation of the downturn they experienced in the latter half of the previous season. Although the Rojo Rollers placed ninth in the Relay Race, they went scoreless during the rest of Qualifiers and finished in last place with only four points. Out of the four original teams who failed to appear in a second consecutive season, the Rojo Rollers were arguably the most surprising on the list. The team had been in the top four of the standings at the end of every 2016 event except for the last two. While the Rojo Rollers experienced their first extended offseason, they entered into an official partnership with rising Sand Marble Rally star Red Number 3, who hails from Bifornya, a village outside of Numerun. As part of the partnership, Rojo Cinco finally joined the Rojo Rollers as their “rojo-serve” and the team traveled to Doornse Gat to support Red Number 3 in Sand Marble Rally 2017. The team became very close with him, even including his likeness in their logo, and began training at his side. All five members of the team competed in the Marble League 2018 Qualifiers, and won the first event, Curling, in Group A. They also earned a silver medal in the final event, Halfpipe, but unfortunately, the Rojo Rollers failed to qualify for the second year in a row, coming in fifth place with 19 points. The Balls of Chaos, who had missed Marble League 2017 along with the Rollers, qualified at the top of their group. The Snowballs were already hosting Marble League 2018, making the Rojo Rollers and the Kobalts the two teams to miss two Marble Leagues in a row. The team was disappointed, but they decided to remain together, as did the Kobalts. The team initially planned to return to their universities for a semester to teach, but realized that the paparazzi would be hounding them. A few months in, they hosted a joint conference about their experience in Marble League, and broke records for the largest attendance in academic conference history. It was clear that, despite not being in the Marble League for so long, the Rojo Rollers have retained a dedicated fanbase, especially in their home city. Additionally, with the help of Red Number 3, the team began construction of a training facility and marble sports stadium, located in the city of Numerun. The stadium features a gap in the stands allowing viewers to get a direct view of Colina Umerun. This stadium was submitted as a host for Marble League 2019, but was not picked. The Rollers' performance in the two offseason events were moderate at best. Rojo Tres placed sixteenth in the 100 Meter Water Race, just behind Yellup from Mellow Yellow. In the Amazing Maze Marble Race, the team placed first in their heat, but last in their semifinal. The team showed promise, but doubt was cast on their ability to follow through in the Marble League 2019 Qualifiers. Also during this time the team released their new logo, featuring a roller skate instead of a red number three ball. This disturbed Red Number 3, who thought the team was ending their relationship with him. They met privately to assure him this was not happening. However, when it when Red Number 3 was exposed as not being a glass marble, the team cut partnership with him before the team's reputation was tarnished. The doubt about the Rollers' recent performances became their reality on 26th January 2019, when the Rojo Rollers failed to qualify for the Marble League for the third season in a row. The team did not place above tenth for any of the events, and was never in the top twelve. At this point, the Rojo Rollers were prepared to experience a third extended offseason, and maybe longer. Their new coach, Rojo Cero, thought that their morale was gone. They could work well as a team, but only Rojo Uno and Rojo Dos could really compete individually. The Rojo Rollers rejoiced at the announcement of the Marble League Showdown 2019 and immediately got to training. As the Showdown approached, the team was a favorite to not only advance to the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers, but to win the Showdown overall. Rojo Cuatro represented the team in the first event, the Sand Rally, and placed seventh. The next event, Collision, saw the team dominate over its group and pull tight leads over its competitors in quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the finals. All five of the Rojo Rollers were on the podium for their first gold medal since the Marble League 2018 Qualifiers. The team rose to second place in the standings, further proving their place in the top twelve. In the third event, the Funnel Race, the Rollers put in Rojo Dos. Although Rojo Cuatro had more experience in funnel spinning, he had already participated in the Sand Rally event. The team's gamble with Rojo Dos paid off, with his performance earning them a bronze medal, second place overall, just one point behind the Snowballs, but most importantly, a guaranteed spot in the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers. The final event, Balancing, was the event that the Rojo Rollers had the best experience in—but they did not show it. The team, perhaps in an effort to conserve its energy, placed dead last. The three teams who got on the podium were Team Primary, the Snowballs, and the Hornets. The Hornets moved ahead of the Rollers, taking second place at the conclusion of the Showdown. The Rojo Rollers remained on the podium, with one point and one medal ahead of Team Primary, who jumped to fourth. The Kobalts finished the Showdown in tenth place and will remain in the Showdown in 2020, guaranteeing that at least one of the two teams will not get a second season of the Marble League just yet. While training for the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers, Rojo Cero received an official letter from the JMRC, inviting the Rojo Rollers to compete in the first season of Marbula One. The Rojo Rollers accepted the invitation and had Rojo Uno and Rojo Dos represent them there. With Marbula One as their proving ground, the Rojo Rollers were looking ahead for the upcoming Marble League 2020 Qualifers. MarbleLympics 2016 MarbleLympics 2017 'Qualifiers' The Rojo Rollers failed to qualify for MarbleLympics 2017. MarbleLympics 2018 'Qualifiers' The Rojo Rollers failed to qualify for Marble League 2018. They competed in Group A. MarbleLympics 2019 'Qualifiers' The Rojo Rollers failed to qualify for MarbleLympics 2019. Marble League Showdown 2019 The Rojo Rollers qualified for the Marble League 2020 Qualifiers. 'Marbula One 2019/20' The Rojo Rollers will be taking part in Marbula One 2019/20. Their team will consist of: *Rojo Uno *Rojo Dos 'Results' | width="50%" valign="top" align="left" | 'Marble League Showdown Results' |} Trivia .]] * The Rojo Rollers claimed the very first MarbleLympics gold medal after winning the Balancing event at the 2016 Games. * The Rojo Rollers and the Kobalts share the sad distinction of being the only two teams from the first MarbleLympics to have yet to appear in any other edition. * Sand Marble Rally athlete Red Number 3 was associated with the Rojo Rollers until the "Not A Marble" controversy when it was revealed that Red Number 3 came from a keychain. The team ended their relationship with him in the midst of preparing for the 2019 MarbleLympics Qualifiers. 'References' Category:Teams Category:Rojo Rollers Category:Marble League Category:Marble League Showdown Category:Marble League Teams Category:Marble League Showdown Teams Category:Marble League 2016 Teams Category:Marble League Showdown 2019 Teams Category:Marble League 2016 Category:Marble League Showdown 2019